


How Did We Get There From Here? (Working Title)

by FourFaces



Category: Avengers (Comics), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Bruce Banner & Tony Stark Feels, Bruce Banner Feels, Canon Divergence - Avengers (2012), Character Death, Established Relationship, F/M, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Tony Stark Feels
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-03
Updated: 2015-05-08
Packaged: 2018-03-28 21:10:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3869917
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FourFaces/pseuds/FourFaces
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was never supposed to end like this.</p>
<p>The final battle with Ultron ends in tragedy. One Avenger faces denial over what occurred, but there is always hope.</p>
<p>Each chapter bounces between the past and the present, beginning with a quick glimpse 20 years after the the final battle with Ultron and then jumping back to three days after the battle and the events that took place that brought everyone to where they are now.</p>
<p>No Spoilers for Age of Ultron (Extremely Canon Divergent)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first fanfiction for anything that I have written since I was 17 (so ... 10 years) and I was bitten by a plot bunny recently, so hopefully this all works out. I'll post updates as they come. I do not own Marvel or any of the characters in here (though there may be an OC at the end ... not sure yet).
> 
> I hope you enjoy and apologies in advance for the angst. There will be a lot of it.

July 13, 2014

 

“Are you ready?” Reed Richards asked.

 It had been over 20 years since the final battle with Ultron. 20 years of denial, false hope, and cold leads. In a way, he wondered if Reed and the others were just playing with his emotions or making him believe something just to feel better.

 But with everything he had seen, this had to be it. All of the variables were exactly the same as they had been 20 years ago, save for the murderous AI.

This had to work, and if not …

 “Yes.”

 “Okay. Detonation in 3 ...”

 His eyes closed as he grabbed the device.

 “2...”

  _I'll see you soon …_

 “1 ...”

 

May 3, 1992

 

It was never supposed to end like this.

 The service was held outside, only the core Avengers, Jennifer Walters, and Logan were in attendance. He would've liked that. He never liked the attention that came with being an Avenger. He was always happy to blend in. If he'd have known that was how he would go -

  _No, you don't know for sure he's gone. They never found his body._

 Steve spoke first. “Bruce was always a good friend ...” blah blah blah. He barely cracked his “great American hero” facade. Did he even know what was going to happen when he let Bruce …

  _Stop it, Tony. He's hurting just as much as you are, if not more. They all are. Steve already told you what went wrong ..._

 Jennifer was barely able to speak about her cousin and had to leave the podium early. Nat and Clint were succinct in their eulogies. Logan mostly spoke about fighting the Hulk and was his usual gruff self. No one made eye contact with Tony at all. _Just as well_.

 Thor talked about Bruce joining the ranks of those in Valhalla or some bullshit. No, if (and that was a big if) Bruce was really gone …

  _You saw the explosion, Tony. Just accept it._

 Tony was never good at accepting things he didn't like.

 

Three days earlier

 

“Stark, do you have a lock on him?”

 Tony was putting all power to the repulsors as he darted around Ultron-10 as he focused on destroying downtown Manhattan. He had really done a good job with this upgrade. Of course, hacking into all of Tony's files had to have helped.

 “This is seriously worse than fighting Adaptoid!” Clint growled over the comms. “If we survive this – Fuck!”

 Tony zoomed past Clint who was currently engaged in fighting a drone of Ultron's. He fired a small rocket to take it out.

 “You can thank me later, Barton,” he quipped before being hit out of the air from the side.

 “Dick move, Ultron!” he cried out as he flew, end over end into the top of the tower, landing on the floor of one of the labs.

 “Tony!” he heard Bruce shout from somewhere else in the room.

  _He was probably still trying to hack Ultron's systems …_

 “I'm fine. Nothing that hasn't happened before,” Tony smiled as he lifted the visor while he struggled to rise.

 “Are you sure you don't need me out there?” Bruce asked, concerned.

 “I'm positive. We've got the help more than just our team. A couple mutants, Spidey, Fantastic Four ... They all came for the party. I think we need the brains over the brawn right now.” Tony grinned before placing a quick kiss on Bruce's lips.

 “Okay, but if you get hurt out there ...” Bruce warned as he fiddled with his wristwatch.

 “I'll be fine,” Tony said before closing the visor. “I'll be home before dinner, honey. I promise” he teased before jetting away to rejoin the battle.

 Bruce turned back to the computer. He switched to the private channel that Romanov had set up.

 “It's almost ready, Nat. Just let me know if you need the plan B,” he said.

 “It's getting pretty bad down here, Bruce. Not that bad but -”

 The cutting out of the comms did not ease his mind.

 “Jarvis? Let me know if Tony's in any danger, okay? The Other Guy is itching for a fight.”

 “Of course, Dr. Banner.”

 Back downtown, most of the drones had been beaten, but Ultron had also taken out many of those who were fighting. Most of the civilians had been cleared out, thanks to Steve, Peter, and Reed. Tony refocused his efforts on Ultron. He had to have some sort of weakness. If he hacked into his tech, he himself had to be hackable, right?

 A wave of energy came at him, only to be stopped by a red force field. Tony turned to see Wanda projecting a field around him.

 “Thanks,” he said.

 “Stark, you need to clear the area,” she said.

 “No way in hell,” he grumbled. “This bastard hacked my systems. I'm taking him out.”

 “Stark -”

 A blast and Wanda was down. Tony sped down to her only to get hit in the back by another energy blast. Searing pain shot through his back as he spasmed to the ground.

  _Oh, Bruce is going to be so pissed ..._

 “Tony, Tony, Tony,” Ultron mocked, “ Thanks to you, I'm stronger than ever. I know all of your countermeasures and just how to take down everyone on your team.”

 Tony turned to see him powering up for another, point blank hit.

 “Jarvis?” Tony asked. No response. The system had to be rebooting. If he had to go …

 A deafening roar shattered the air around him. He looked up to see the Hulk towering over him. One hit and Ultron was embedded into the side of a nearby building.

 Hulk gently scooped up Tony and Wanda and leaped over to the safe zone with the pair. He set them down and set his hand on Tony's shoulder.

 “Stay,” he commanded.

 Tony smiled. “Well, there's not much I can do until my systems reboot, big guy. Go get him.”

 Hulk smiled sadly and leaped back into the fray. The roars of the Hulk came closer and closer as the fight came back into view. Tony noticed several of the non-injured team-mates running towards the safe zone, most carrying the injured.

 “Where's Widow?” he asked Clint as he arrived carrying Sue in his arms.

 Clint blanched and pushed through. Tony cursed under his breath.

 “Come on, J. Reboot faster!”

 Ultron pushed Hulk closer to the safe zone, but Hulk pushed back, as if he was intentionally keeping the fight as far away from them as possible. Steve's absence in the retreating group became noticeable. Tony's eyes darted around. _Next model will be much easier to move without a power source_ , Tony promised himself.

 Tony watched as Hulk landed a few punches on Ultron. He thought he saw something or someone ( _in this line of work, it could be either_ , he mused) behind Ultron's back but as quick as he saw it, it was gone. Something else seemed out of place, though. Somehow, the wrist watch Bruce always wore was still on Hulk's wrist. Bannertech, probably. He'd have to give Bruce a hard time about it after the battle.

 The system finished its reboot. Tony opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by Steve's commanding voice.

 “Anyone relying on technology to keep alive needs to have been evacuated to the safe zone! Prepare for EMP. Is Stark secure?”

 Wanda replied in the affirmative before Tony could respond.

 “You foolish creature,” Ultron laughed after another particularly hard blow. “Don't you remember that Stark was building the weapons meant to take you down? I know how to destroy you!”

 Tony's blood ran cold. There had been weapons he created against Hulk, for sure, but only one that Banner thought was of any use. He was sure he wiped those files though … right?

 He watched his worst fears play out as Ultron grabbed Hulk's head, bathing him in red light. Hulk roared in pain as he began to shrink. Soon, the Hulk was replaced by the frail form of Bruce Banner. Ultron laughed.

  _No, no, no!_

 WHAM! Bruce was smashed into the pavement, still in Ultron's grip.

 “Perhaps, this is the best way to hurt the great Tony Stark before I destroy him once and for all. Destroy his lover using his own weapons,” Ultron gloated.

 Ultron picked Bruce off of the ground before slamming him down again. Tony was thankful that, thanks to some tests they ran, that Bruce still retained some of Hulk's healing factor, but still ...

 “Bruce ...” Tony whispered over the comms.

 Bruce looked to Tony as Ultron held him high. He was barely recognizable through the blood. Their eyes locked and Bruce smiled sadly before weakly pushing a button on the now loose wristwatch. Tony soon noticed the device on Ultron's neck. It flashed blue once before rapidly blinking. Tony's heart leaped to his throat.

  _No ..._

 Ultron seemed to notice Bruce fiddling with his wrist watch. ”What are you going to do now, you pathetic creature?” Ultron laughed. “Trying to-?”

 The explosion was blinding, even as far away as it was. Tony reflexively closed his eyes and hunched over.

 “No, no, no ...” he whispered weakly.

 Silence.

 Tony a crater where Bruce and Ultron had once stood.

 “J?” Tony asked quietly.

 “Scan for life sign of Dr. Banner has come back negative, sir. However, traces of Ultron's programming seem to have been erased. The device seems to have been successful in eradicating the threat of Ultron, sir.” Jarvis responded privately to Tony.

 Tony was oblivious to any cheers from the public. He continued to stare at the spot where Bruce had been. He barely noticed when Steve walked over and helped him up, leading him to the quinjet.

 “Tony, I'm so sorry ...” he finally heard someone say. Maybe it was Natasha?

 He shrugged Steve off of his shoulders and curled in on himself.

 “This wasn't supposed to have happened this way,” Steve whispered. “Hulk was supposed to arm the device but he should've been able to withstand the blast. We didn't know he could reverse the transformation on Banner. We didn't plan for that ...”

 Tony's eyes burned. He was choked with grief, but a new anger was welling up in his chest.

  _They all knew …_

 The next two days, Tony did not leave his and Bruce's bed. He didn't sleep after the first nightmare on the first night. Bruce could not be dead. He had said it himself once. He couldn't die. It was impossible.

 After the private service, Tony locked himself in his lab.

 “J, don't let anyone in. Scan for Dr. Banner anywhere on earth … any records, anything from sattelites. Biometrics … Anything,” Tony whispered.

 “Sir, the tracker he had implanted -”

 “The EMP may have destroyed that anyway. Just … find him, J,” Tony ordered before pulling up a screen with the 24 hour news channels.

 “The private service for Dr. Robert Bruce Banner was held in ...”

 “Hero or monster? The battle earlier this week may have answered the question, but at what cost?” 

“No statements have been released from the Avengers or from Stark himself who was unusually silent on the death of his partner of 20 years ...”

 “Is the world safer after the death of the Hulk?”

  _No …_

 

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for alcoholism and depression

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will probably be the last chapter posted for tonight. I have two more finished, but I may wait to post them until later in the week. It depends on how much I get written the next couple of days.
> 
> Thanks for all of the kudos and comments! I never realized how much I missed writing fan fiction!

April 28, 1992

 

The sun beamed into Tony and Bruce's room. It had been a month since any need had arisen for the Avengers to assemble, so the two had been enjoying some peace and quiet in Malibu. Tony was currently wrapped around the smaller man who was curled up on himself for warmth.

“Sir, You wanted me to inform you before Happy and Pepper arrived -”

“Mute,” Tony mumbled before kissing Bruce's back softly. Bruce moaned and stretched out, pressing into Tony. “Oh now that's not fair,” Tony chuckled, “You know we don't have time this morning.”

“Nnn … Whose fault is that?” Bruce mumbled blearily. “I distinctly remember saying we needed to get to bed early last night.”

Tony nipped Bruce's ear softly before pulling himself up. “You know you liked it,” he grinned. “Come on. We need to shower before our company arrives.”

Bruce reluctantly sat up and the two headed to the shower, Tony propping the still sleepy Bruce up.

The rest of the morning went by rather uneventfully. Pepper and Happy arrived just as Tony and Bruce had gotten dressed and the four mostly sat and caught up with each other. While Bruce and Happy sat on the couch and continued to catch up, Pepper pulled Tony aside to the kitchen to help her get some snacks.

“Okay, Pep. What is it that you needed to talk with me about? I know you didn't really bring me in here to help with getting snacks. You know I'm useless in the kitchen right?”

Pepper laughed. “I just wanted to pester you about when you were actually going to go through with … you know.”

Tony smiled. “I was thinking next month. J and I have been working on it and so far it's survived all of the tests we've put it through.”

“I'm glad you're following through with it then. Just don't sit on it for too long.”

“Pep, I've been with one person for 20 years. I think I've got a handle on this.”

Pepper smiled sadly. “I know. I just worry with the line of work you are both in. You've been lucky this long, but you never know ...”

“I think at this rate, we'll be more likely to die of broken hips than anything else, Pep. Things seem to be slowing down a little bit. I think we can finally take a break from this superhero business, at least for a little while.”

Pepper smiled and pulled out a couple of chip bags and some dip while Tony grabbed some sodas from the fridge (Pepper was still amazed that Tony had not had alcohol in his fridge for 15 years) and the two headed back out to the living room and sat with their respective boyfriends to watch some daytime TV and continue to chat.

General Hospital was playing when the television was taken over, first by static and then by a very familiar face. Tony blanched at the sight of it.

“Ultron ...” Tony gasped.

Bruce grabbed Tony's hand as Ultron began to speak.

“Humans. You are all pathetic creatures, doomed to continue to be violent, mindless animals. I have watched your wars among each other and have tried to educate you nine times. Each time, I have been met with opposition by the group known as the Avengers. I have infiltrated and searched through the files of Stark Industries and upgraded my own weapons to be better and stronger than those of these Avengers. This will be my tenth, and final, attempt. I know what needs to be done. To educate you and help you, as a species, evolve, I must destroy them. Each day that they live, I will destroy what they hold most dear ...”

The image shifted to the burning rubble of a city.

“This was once Dayton, Ohio. Perhaps the green monster remembers this city? It has been wiped off of the map and will be joined by many others until the group known as the Avengers comes to me for judgment.”

The program returned to General Hospital for a short moment before the local news took over. The four sat in silence, staring at the TV watching the destruction unfold. The main phone began to ring, but Tony and Bruce already knew. They were being called to assemble and possibly face Ultron for what could be the final time.

 

July 12, 1992

 

Tony had barely left the lab for anything in the past two months. Pepper, being the only one with any override codes to the lab, had brought food down to him, but he rarely touched it, sticking to a diet of alcohol. The first few weeks had been the hardest, both emotionally and physically (since being with Bruce, he had only rarely consumed alcohol), but now he was in a pattern of waking up drunk, tinkering while drinking, and then falling asleep in the lab on the futon that Bruce had insisted being put in there. The blanket still smelled of Bruce – earthy and warm – and was sometimes the only thing that could ease Tony into sleep.

It was on July 12th that Steve finally was able to get into the lab to check on Tony. He gasped as he saw the now thin man, hunched over armor on the table.

“Tony ...” Steve whispered. “Oh my god ...”

“I could've saved him, Steve. I was toying with a way to protect him when he wasn't the Hulk. I could've protected him ...” Tony whispered.

“Tony ...”

“Jarvis has been scanning the earth for weeks for any sign of Bruce. There hasn't been anything. He's really gone,” Tony said as he finally turned to face Steve.

Steve tried not to show his surprise at Tony's appearance. His trademark goatee was overgrown with stubble and his eyes sagged in exhaustion and were red rimmed with tears.

“This wasn't your fault Tony. There wasn't anything you could've done … and the armor may have -”

“You know what, Steve? You're right. I didn't do this. You and Nat, with your secret plans … You killed him,” Tony growled out, too weak to yell. “I've gone over all of the data from the fight. Anything that was recorded. If he hadn't had to trigger that bomb … Why couldn't one of you have detonated it? Why did it have to be him?”

“Tony, you know that when Bruce and Hulk worked together that they were the most capable at battling Ultron in any of his previous forms. He even agreed to do it to make sure everyone else was safe. We just didn't know that Ultron could reverse Bruce's transformation -”

“Just leave,” Tony whispered.

“Tony, everyone's been worried about you. I've been trying to convince Jarvis to let me in since you locked yourself in here,” he took a step closer and smelled the alcohol that permeated Tony's entire sense of being. “Oh god … You haven't. You know that Bruce wouldn't want you to be like this, Tony.”

With that, Tony crumpled and began to weep openly.

“Don't you think I know that, you All-American Asshole? Of course I know Bruce wouldn't like to see me like this! He kept me stable! I can't do this without him, Steve … I can't ...”

Steve reached over and helped Tony up from his chair.

“Come on, Tony. Let me get you to your shower so you can clean up. You're going upstairs and away from this. It can't be helping you.”

As he walked Tony to the shower in the lab, Steve turned his head to look back at the workstation. Maybe while Tony was showering, he could organize it a little and help him out.

Tony's sobs echoed over the running water. Steve turned to work on organizing the workstation when he noticed something that was under the purple tinted armor that Tony had been working on.

A small, black box.

“Oh Tony … “ Steve whispered to himself. He replaced the armor over it. It would be better for him not to remind Tony of what could have been.

After getting the barely responsive Tony redressed, Steve led him to the elevator and upstairs to the communal living room. Natasha and Clint were currently engaged in a debate when they turned to see Steve and Tony in the doorway.

“Well, long time no see, Stark,” Clint smiled. “Come on and join us. Nat and I were talking about what to watch tonight. She wants Matlock. Tell her she's wrong and that we should watch Family Matters instead!”

Tony just mumbled. Steve led him to a chair and set him down before returning to Natasha's side and placing a peck on her cheek. This snapped Tony out of his reverie.

“Wait. When did this finally happen?” Tony gasped.

“Come on, Tony!” Clint laughed. “This has been going on since long before – ow!” Clint rubbed the side of his face from where Natasha had flicked one of the cashews from the bowl on the coffee table.

“Tony, I know that you had been spending a lot of time in Malibu the past year, but seriously, everyone knew. We honestly didn't tell you because we thought you knew about it,” Steve chuckled.

“Obviously, I'm always the last to know anything,” Tony said darkly.

The rest of the evening was spent watching Matlock, after Steve broke the tie, while Nat and Clint playfully argued about something that Tony couldn't care less about, honestly. He tried, he really did, but he wasn't ready for any of these reminders of what he lost.

None of them really understood, anyway. He wasn't sure he really wanted them to.

 

April 29, 1992

 

“Bruce,” Natasha whispered, “Reed came up with a secondary plan to defeat Ultron, but we need your help.”

The Avengers had gathered at Stark Tower in New York in full force. Old members and current members along with a few mutants and the Fantastic Four were gathered in one goal of saving humanity. After coming up with a plan of attack, most of those gathered, including Tony, had gone to bed and Bruce was about to join him when Natasha pulled him aside. The two went to the shared lab that Bruce and Tony often called home when in New York to find Steve and Reed waiting.

“So, what's the plan, Reed? I thought the main attack plan Steve came up with was fine,” Bruce said as he folded his arms, leaning against the doorway.

“It is, but we need a back up. Every time we've beaten Ultron, he comes back better and stronger. Already, it seems that he's somehow gotten a hold of Tony's old weapons designs and improved on them.”

Bruce blanched _,_ _If he got a hold of his weapons, then he got into the Hulkbuster program …_

“We need to come up with a way to defeat him once and for all,” Steve added. “Richard was saying that we could maybe fry his programming, but we need to make sure that he is shut down. We need someone to get close enough to make sure this works.”

Reed produced a small, round device and a tiny chip.

“This device is an explosive that will trigger after a virus is installed into Ultron's interface. Some of it can be done wirelessly, but the killing blow has to be delivered in an extremely short range. It also has a very short range EMP. This chip is the trigger and can be placed into anything – an extremely sturdy wristwatch, for example.”

Bruce nodded, “Let me guess, you need someone to deliver the bomb.”

“Natasha can place the device as long as Ultron is otherwise distracted. But she obviously can't arm the weapon … however, Hulk can.”

Bruce chuckled inwardly. _Of course, when the Other Guy and I are finally in sync completely, they send us on a possible suicide mission_.

“He's the only one who could survive the blast. It's short range, again, but his healing factor is amazing. Obviously he was able to survive the explosion that brought him into being and, while this is much more concentrated, this one is no where near as powerful,” Reed explained.

“I can see why you waited until Tony went to bed to talk about this,” Bruce agreed. “There's no way in hell he'd be okay with this. It's just a plan B, correct? Only if the tide of the battle turns to require it.”

“Yes. And we'll be evacuating the city as a safeguard. No civilians and anyone who requires electronic assistance to survive will be first priority, of course.”

_So Tony will be okay, no matter what …_

Bruce sighed, “Let me make sure the Other Guy is okay with this.”

He closed his eyes to see Hulk staring at him in the crossroads of their mind.

_**“Why Banner here? Need Hulk?”** _

_“Not yet. But we might. They want us to destroy Ultron, but it may be a suicide mission. They didn't say so in so many words, but - “_

_**“Hulk can't die! Hulk strongest there is!”** _

_“I know, but Ultron hacked Tony's files. He may know about the Hulkbuster program. He could have had access to the Gamma Sponge and if so ...”_

_**“Oh.”** _

_“Look, I know that there's a risk but there are billions of lives at stake … and Tony -”_

**_“Will Tin Man be safe?”_ **

Bruce smiled inwardly.

_“This will make sure of it.”_

Hulk huffed.

**_“Yes. Hulk smash Ultron for good.”_ **

_“Great. I'll let you know more of the plan tonight. We need to stay in sync for it to work,”_ Bruce finished before opening his eyes.

Reed jumped a little. Bruce's eyes were his usual brown but swirled with green.

“We accept. Let us know what we need to do.”

As Reed explained the plan, Steve and Natasha looked on.

“Nat,” Steve began, “Is this really the best way?”

“I think it's the only way, Steve. We keep trying the same thing, over and over and he keeps coming back. This way, he might be gone for good. There's only so many times we can fight him before he wins.”

Steve sighed and nodded.

“Alright, I'm going to head to bed,” Bruce said finally, “But I want you all to promise me something. If the worst happens, please make sure Tony is okay. I don't want this to break him, should Ultron -”

“We'll take care of him,” Steve said as he placed his hand on Bruce's shoulder. “I promise.”

Bruce smiled and made his way out of the lab and to the bedroom. He stood in the doorway for a moment, taking in the sight of his boyfriend. He shuffled over to the bed and disrobed before laying down next to him, wrapping his arms around him. The blue glow of the arc reactor illuminated Tony's features. Bruce smiled and kissed him softly before nestling in closer to him. He took one more look before closing his eyes to meet the Hulk for one more meeting in the crossroads.

 

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thor has discovered something, but can Tony believe him?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still a little angst in this chapter, but things may be looking up?
> 
> Thanks for all of the kudos and comments! Looking at some regular updates for a little while, at least until work picks up more.

January 3, 1992

 

“Seriously, Pep, I don't know what to do. I mean, I do, but I'm still nervous about it,” Tony said as he paced frantically, wrapping the cord of the phone around his legs as he paced.

“Tony, you've been with him for almost 20 years. You're practically married anyway,” Pepper replied. Tony was sure she was pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration. “Do you need me to come over and help you pick out a ring or something? I mean, I'm okay doing that, but it's not like I'm supposed to be in a shareholder's meeting instead of helping my best friend with his inability to propose to the man he's been with for two decades.”

“Pep, I just don't want to fuck this up, okay? And believe me, I've looked at rings. Everything looks stupid and nothing is Hulk safe.”

“You're an inventor, Tony. Invent something. And for the love of god, don't do something cheesy when you propose.”

Tony grinned. “Pep, you're a genius.”

He hung up before Pepper could reply and headed to the lab. Bruce was out with Natasha and Steve on a mission so he had some time to plan.

“J, I need you to run some tests on different materials that could be Hulk safe. I'm finally going to do it.”

“Certainly sir. And my I offer my congratulations to yourself and Dr. Banner?” Jarvis responded.

“Thanks J. This will probably take a few months, but perhaps I can have this done by our anniversary in June?”

“It is possible. I have already found a few matches for materials that will suit your needs. Sending you sources now.”

“Thanks J. You can be best man. Just don't tell Rhodey.”

“It is always an honor, sir.”

Tony got to work planning and was deep in working out a prototype on his computer when Jarvis alerted him to the door.

“Sir, Dr. Banner is back, however -”

“Thanks J. Hide what I've done so far. I don't want to spoil this for him.”

“Sir, I believe you need to -”

“Mute,” Tony instructed as he headed out of the lab and to the door. He opened the door to find Natasha and Steve with a bruised and unconscious Bruce between them. Tony's blood ran cold.

“Bruce! Oh my god, what happened?”

“It was like Abomination all over again, Tony. He de-hulked and, before we could reach him, the building fell on him. It wasn't as severe this time, but he's still unconscious.”

Tony helped them take Bruce into the medical lab that Bruce had set up years before. He laid Bruce on one of the beds and unmuted Jarvis.

“Can you run a scan on him, J?” Tony asked.

“Dr. Banner is healing, but there are still some internal injuries that are not healing as quickly as normal. Two ribs are broken and he appears to have suffered a concussion. Of course, with the radioactivity of Dr. Banner's blood, it is advised that you wait for his healing factor to take over.”

Tony nodded and ran a hand through his hair.

“Steve, was he bleeding externally when you got to him?”

“No. We made sure it was safe to handle him before we touched him. We've had the lecture from him enough times.”

“We just weren't quick enough,” Natasha said. “And he was too exhausted for a second transformation.”

“I know. God, this was supposed to be a simple mission though,” Tony said.

“It went south when some kid with a laser tried to shoot at us when we were questioning them. That was the fastest I've seen Bruce transform without you being in danger,” Steve added.

“Thanks, for bringing him home,” Tony said as he held Bruce's hand. “You're welcome to stay the night here. I think your rooms are still made up how you like them.”

Steve and Natasha looked at each other and smiled, something easily missed by Tony who continued his vigil over Bruce.

“Thanks Tony … Um, we'll see you in the morning then?” Steve added.

“Yeah. See you in the morning.”

He did not see them head towards the same room together, hands slightly touching. He only watched the rise and fall of Bruce's chest.

“J, I think I need to come up with a way to protect Bruce.”

“Sir, I believe the Hulk is fully capable of protecting Dr. Banner.”

“No. I need to make sure he is safe when he isn't Hulk.”

“May I recommend sleeping on it first, Sir?”

Tony rubbed his eyes.

“I suppose. Dim the lights, J. I'm sleeping in here tonight.”

 

December 24, 1993

 

It was Tony's second Christmas without Bruce and the first one since Steve and Natasha got married. Tony was a little bit more stable, but May, June, and December were still difficult. This year, Thor was on Earth, having visited Jane for most of his stay. He arrived at Stark Tower, a Santa Hat sloppily placed on his head.

“Greetings friends! Let us make merry during this festive time!” He called as he walked into the common room where Tony, Clint, Rhodey, Sam, and Steve and Natasha were seated.

The friends sat around and chatted about the surprising slow period of fighting. It seemed less villains had been poised to attempt to take over the world since Bruce's death (and the handful that tried were met with swift resistance, especially when Tony rejoined the Avengers for a short time), and so everyone was able to relax and focus on civilian life. Tony was bitterly reflecting on this when Thor pulled him aside.

“Friend Stark, I wanted to talk to you about this alone. I know that you have been troubled since the death of your brother of science.”

“Yes, Thor. I was hoping not to think about that today ...” Tony sighed.

“Well, I may have good news. Steve had said you had gone through a long period of denial and that you were certain that Bruce had survived the explosion that destroyed both him and Ultron.”

Tony looked at Thor. _Really? We're doing this now?_

“I believed the others myself until the day I left for Midgard. Heimdall told me he has seen Bruce. He is not on this world, but somewhere else. He was not sure where as it was not on any of the nine realms, but he still seems to live.”

Tony stared hard at Thor. “Thor, I know you want me to feel better -”

“Believe me, Stark, I did not believe Heimdall at first, but he showed me a glimpse. Bruce is indeed still alive, but the place he was in was strange. It was much like Midgard, but very, very different. I'm not sure if he can be reached using the Bifrost, but I believe there is hope that you two can be reunited.”

Tony looked away and laughed. “I'm over forty, Thor. If this is just some way of saying that Bruce is always with me as long as I remember him, then save it. I heard something like that when my parents died. I don't need fairy tales to get through this.”

“Believe me or not, Stark, but know that Heimdall has never been wrong before. I trust him with my life and I know what I saw. You can still be reunited with Bruce.”

With that, Thor went back to join the rest of the Avengers in the common room. Tony excused himself and went back to their (no, his) bedroom. Pepper had since boxed up most of Bruce's things, donating much of it to a local shelter after finally getting Tony's approval. Now the room barely held any hint of Bruce, save for a few things Tony had kept on Bruce's bedside table. A photograph of the two of them from the last year Bruce was alive was propped up against the lamp. Tony walked to the bed and laid down. He stared at the picture for a long time before finally shutting his eyes tight to hold back tears.

As much as he wanted Thor to be right, he just could not believe him.

_But after everything you've seen the last 20 years, is this really that out there?_

 

January 4, 1992

 

Bruce woke up extremely stiff and sore from the previous day. He looked over to see Tony asleep in the chair next to him.

“Hey Tin Man,” he squeaked out with a weak smile.

Tony's eyes snapped open. He turned to Bruce.

“Oh thank god,” Tony whispered. “I was so worried.”

“Nng … Nothing that a rage monster can't fix,” Bruce grinned. “I feel like I've been hit by a truck.”

“A building, but close enough,” Tony chuckled. “You'd think you were done with dehulking in collapsing buildings after last time.”

Bruce laughed. “I just seem to attract trouble, huh?”

Tony smiled. “I'm glad you're okay.”

“Of course I am. Did Steve and Nat-?”

“Yeah. They're using the rooms I let them use last time they were here.”

“Separate rooms?” Bruce asked, quizzically.

“Yeah ...” Tony replied, unsure of there being any other option.

“Huh.”

“Bruce, I don't want to ever lose you,” Tony whispered as he pressed his forehead to Bruce's.

“I'm not planning on it, Tony. I don't think Hulk would ever let anything happen,” Bruce smiled.

“But what about when you're not Hulk. I almost lost you when Abomination ...”

“Tony, don't worry. Hulk and I are getting into sync more than ever. He's even better about protecting me now than when he was operating purely on instinct. He doesn't want you to be left alone either. We both love you, Tony,” Bruce said, placing a hand to Tony's shoulder reassuringly.

“I just worry, Bruce. I love you too much to lose you.”

“I know. I love you too, Tony.”

Bruce gently kissed the engineer who tried to stay reassured. A thought continued to creep into his mind, however.

_You could still lose him, Tony. You know the technology exists to take him out for good. You created it._

 

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony has new evidence presented to him and flashbacks to happier times.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for implied sex ... because I suck at actually writing it. xD

December 13, 1991

 

“Ohh … Mmm I promise I won't do it again, Brucie,” Tony purred as Bruce kissed his neck, running his hands under his shirt.

Bruce growled softly and nipped his neck before pulling back to look at his lover. Tony gasped before licking his lips hungrily as he saw the green swirls in Bruce's eyes.

“I could've lost you today,” Bruce said in a low voice before kissing down Tony's collarbone.

“Remind me to nearly get killed more often,” Tony giggled. “Did you take the blockers?”

Bruce grinned. “Of course. As soon as I woke up, in fact. The Other Guy told me what you did and we both agreed you needed to be taught a lesson.”

Tony moaned as Bruce ground their hips together. He reached around, grabbing Bruce's ass, pushing him even closer. Bruce growled again and lifted him up onto the counter.

“A-hem.”

The two men stopped and looked in the doorway to see Clint with his eyes averted.

“I see that you're feeling better, Tony,” Clint mumbled. “Does this mean your report for Fury on the battle is finished?”

“Go away, Clint,” Tony groaned. “We're a little busy.”

“Wait, you didn't finish your report? Bruce said, pulling back. “Come on, Tony, we've talked about this. No sex until after reports are sent in. Hulk and I even finished ours while waiting for the blockers to kick in.”

“Come on, mine is easy. I flew in, aimed at a few doom bots, was knocked out, and woke up being carried by the Hulk. There's really no need for a report from me, honestly,” Tony whines.

“Come on, Tony, just write the damn thing so we can get the debriefing over with,” Clint complained.

“I was going to do some debriefing before you interrupted things, Hawkbutt,” Tony grumbled.

Bruce laughed and then kissed Tony's forehead. “The blockers don't wear off for another two hours. If your report will really be as short as you say it is, then this won't really be a problem at all.”

With that, Bruce and Clint left the kitchen as Tony complained after them.

 

June 6, 1995

 

“On your left!”

Tony dodged the energy blast and shot the offending Doombot.

“Thanks Falcon,” he said. “Anyone got a lock on Doom?”

“Negative,” Clint replied over the comms. “Honestly, why is it that every time I try to have a day off that some megalomaniac with robots comes in and tries to take over Manhattan.”

“Sounds to me like you need a different line of work, Hawk,” Sam chuckled before sending Red Wing out past the Doombots.

“We just aren't making a dent in these guys,” Steve growled as he threw his shield at a group of bots who were instantly replaced by another group behind them.

A blinding burst of lightning shocked the group of bots who fell as Thor landed among them.

“Where is Friend Richards? He had said he had a plan to assist, but I haven't seen him yet.”

“Probably still trying to find Doom,” Tony grumbled. “Though now would be a good time -”

As quickly as he spoke, he was whisked away by a blur and set down. He looked up to see Pietro grinning at him.

“Stay here.” he said before running back into battle.

Tony watched as he gathered the bots into one area. _What the hell is your plan, Reed?_

“Ready to go boom, bots?” Pietro grinned as he held a small device. As quickly had tony saw him standing there, the speedy Maximoff twin was standing next to him and the Doombots were engulfed in a blinding explosion, much like …

_Where the hell were you three years ago?_ Tony thought bitterly.

His bitterness was replaced by an alert from Jarvis.

“Sir, there appears to be an anomaly at the center of the explosion. I am recording data for future use.”

Tony stared at the sight. A crater, much like before, lay where the bots had once been gathered.

“No fucking way ...” Tony whispered as Reed ran to the area.

“Pietro, are you alright?”

“Definitely,” the twin laughed.

_You son of a bitch …_

Sam landed next to Tony who still sat staring at the crater. “Red Wing didn't find any sign of Doom. It looks like he cleared out as soon as the battle started.”

Tony blocked out the rest of the conversation. All he could think of was what Thor had said before. It looked like he had a long night ahead of him. As long as Jarvis had the data, Tony now had something to work on to distract him from the nightmares he was sure to have if he tried to sleep.

 

Time Unknown, Place Uknown

 

_Where am I? What is this place?_

Swirls of color filled the darkness that filled his mind. At least, he was sure it was his mind. He couldn't remember if he had a mind of his own or even a body.

_No. I have to have a body. It wouldn't make sense if I didn't, right?_

There was no physical feeling wherever he was. Only uncategorized emotions, swirling around him like colors.

_Who am I?_

Names came and went in his mind, but none seemed to make any sense. They could be his name or something else. A low rumble filled the air, but he could not find the source. What was this low rumble? What was going on?

_Who's there?_

 

June 7, 1995

 

“J, try it again. There has to be some explanation for that anomaly during the explosion.”

“Sir, so far I cannot replicate the conditions in any of my tests. I believe it was just an irregular explosion after all.”

Tony sipped his coffee. There had to be something he was missing in all of this.

“No, Thor had said something …” And as he said it, he knew. “J, pull up the footage from May 1, 1992.”

“Are you certain, Sir? Shall I have the team on call?”

Tony nodded. Steve had made him create an override for the rest of the team when he got low. Now, if Tony began to self destruct, one of the team would fetch him and bring him back up to the common room to distract him.

“Play it, J.”

The battle played out before Tony, just as he had lived it. Banner appeared on the screen, looking concerned as they had their very last conversation. More fighting and then the Hulk saving Tony … then the transformation. He froze the image as Bruce looked at him.

“God, Bruce … I'm so sorry ...” He whispered before continuing playback.

Bruce pushed the button on the wrist watch and Tony slowed the footage frame by frame. Ultron melting into nothingness was barely visible in the image, but there was something behind Bruce in the image. Something slightly darker as Bruce disappeared. Not melted, not burned. He almost faded away into whatever was behind him.

“J. Pause it.”

Tony stared at the image. He couldn't believe what he was seeing.

“Damn … Thor was right,” He whispered. “Call Reed. I need to have a talk with him.”

“Already done, Sir. Reed should be here in an hour.”

Tony nodded as he sipped his coffee some more, staring at the final image of his boyfriend.

“I knew you couldn't really be gone,” he whispered, “And I will find you. I promise.”

 

February 25, 1992

 

“Dammit,” Tony cursed under his breath.

“Sir, might I recommend asking for Dr. Banner's input on this project?” Jarvis asked.

Tony set down his wrench, “It wouldn't be much of a surprise if I did, J. Besides, I've already had to ask Pym for help with the size issues, I don't need to ask for help from every scientist on Earth. I'm a genius, remember?”

“Of course, sir,” Jarvis responded.

Tony sighed. Perhaps Jarvis was right. If he was going to have this suit draw on Bruce's gamma energy, he needed the help of someone just as well versed in gamma radiation as Bruce. This was definitely not his forte.

He pulled up his schematics again. He had to be missing something.

“How is the other project coming?” Tony asked.

“Synthesizing the necessary materials may take some time, Sir, but so far the planned deadline will be met. However, it has been difficult keeping that hidden away from Dr. Banner as well.”

Tony nodded as he focused on the reactor in the schematics. Maybe if he -

“Sir, Dr. Banner and Miss Romanov have finished with sparring. And Dr. Banner is headed to the lab right now. I suggest you pack up the armor if you want to keep this a secret.”

“Thanks J,” Tony replied as he began to put the armor away in a crate. “I'll deal with you later,” he said to the offending work in progress.

“Hey Tony,” Bruce said as he walked into the lab, delivering a kiss on Tony's head. “Still tinkering?”

“When am I not?” Tony grinned. “How was sparring?”

“Natasha kicked my ass as usual,” Bruce laughed. “But Steve came in so our match was cut short.”

“I guess that means more time with me then?” Tony smiled, standing up and snaking an arm around Bruce's waist.

“I was actually coming down to see if you might join me in the shower,” Bruce smiled. “That is, if you aren't still focused on tinkering with your armor.”

“I think I'd rather 'tinker' with something else,” Tony purred, grabbing the waist band of Bruce's pants and pulling him in for a passionate kiss.

“Lab shower or -?” Bruce said after breaking the kiss.

“Lab shower,” Tony demanded. “Now.”

 

Later that afternoon, Clint dropped in from the vents with a few arrows that had been broken on the test range. He wandered the lab, looking for Tony and Bruce (he was certain he had heard them not too long ago while he was wandering the vents). He found his way to an unused corner to see strategically placed scraps blocking something on the table. He pushed it aside to see the mold of the thin band that Tony had been working on in secret.

“I wonder how many new arrows this will buy me,” Clint joked to himself as he replaced the scraps.

 

December 14, 1991

 

Bruce was the first of the pair to grace the kitchen with his presence. Steve and Natasha were seated side by side, working on a crossword puzzle while Thor stood vigil over the toaster. Bruce walked over to the cabinet and pulled down his and Tony's cups and then filled them both with coffee.

“Coffee this time, Bruce?” Steve asked quizzically.

“Yeah, kind of had a late night last night,” he said with a tired smile.

“I bet,” Clint laughed from the doorway. “Is Tony going to be able to walk in today?”

Bruce shot Clint a look as Tony made his way into the kitchen. Bruce handed him his cup of coffee and kissed Tony's cheek.

“Thanks Brucie,” Tony murmured before clapping Thor on the back. “Just because you stare at the toaster, it doesn't mean that the Pop-Tarts are going to come up any sooner.”

Just as he said it, the Pop-Tarts popped up and Thor grabbed them with a hearty laugh before walking to the table and sitting next to Steve and Natasha.

Bruce smiled at the pair and sat across from them. The pair complimented each other well both in and out of battle and Bruce was happy to finally see Natasha so relaxed with someone. Tony sat down next to Bruce and leaned his head on Bruce's shoulder.

 

“Wake me up when Fury calls for the debriefing,” Tony mumbled.

“I thought you already did that,” Clint joked before Bruce flicked a sugar packet at him.

 

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony gets help from Reed Richards and a memory is sparked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter gets really, really depressing, but it will start looking up soon!
> 
> (For a little while at least)

May 25, 1990

 

“Has anyone seen Hulk?” Tony asked frantically over the comms.

“Last I saw, he was chasing after M.O.D.O.K,” Clint replied before letting another arrow loose at one of the AIM agents. “He'll be fine, Tony. Don't worry.”

A hit with a repulsor blast distracted Tony momentarily.

“You son of a bitch!” Tony yelled as he fired back at the AIM agent who was quickly rethinking his life choices.

An earth shattering roar filled the comms. Natasha began to run towards the source.

“Don't worry Tony. I'll check on him,” she said before disappearing behind a building.

Tony landed near Steve who had just tossed his shield to take out the remaining AIM agents. Steve turned to him as the shield returned.

“Clint and I can get them gathered up for SHIELD to take into custody if you need to join Nat,” Steve smiled. “This was the easiest this month.”

Tony nodded, “I hope it stays that way. That didn't sound like a very victorious roar.”

Tony took off in the direction that Widow had gone. He searched his HUD for any signs of Hulk. He found him in the rubble of a building, still in his large, green self. Nat was backed away, as if she was trying to approach Hulk without him noticing. Tony landed next to her.

“What's going on, Nat?”

“M.O.D.O.K. Escaped, but had teleported through the building. Hulk didn't stop in time and ran into the wall, crashing through into one of the rooms,” Natasha explained. “I think he saw the crib in the corner and went into a panic. I'm not sure if it was Hulk or Bruce that panicked more.”

Tony started towards Hulk who turned to face him, his green eyes swirled with brown.

“Hey big guy …” Tony started “We're here to help you. Let's try and clear out some of the rubble, buddy.”

Hulk snorted as he began to gingerly lift up the bits of rubble, while Natasha and Tony worked on some of the smaller pieces. Tony looked at the crib that had drawn Hulk's attention. Soon, the room was cleared, but there was no sign of anyone in the vicinity other than the three Avengers. Hulk grunted, searching around.

“Maybe no one was home, big guy. We would've found someone by now,” Tony reassured him.

Just as he spoke, the handle of the door to the room jiggled before the door swung open. A woman stood in the doorway holding a frightened toddler in her arms. Hulk turned to see her and then, quite literally, deflated with relief, shrinking down immediately to Bruce who wobbled for a moment before collapsing with exhaustion. Tony rushed to him and helped him up.

“Is that … thing gone?” The woman asked, shaken.

“The giant floating head?” Tony asked _Because you had better not be talking about Hulk._

The woman nodded and Natasha walked over to her.

“He's gone. We're sorry about the damages -”

“And the Stark Relief Fund will be paying for a new wall for you, ma'am,” Tony chimed in as he started to lead the barely conscious Bruce out of the Hulk-sized hole, leaving Natasha to talk with the woman.

It was another three hours before Bruce was back to himself completely. He woke with a start in Tony's bed and immediately curled up into himself. Tony had been sitting on the bed next to him and immediately started stroking Bruce's back.

“Hey, Bruce. It's okay. Hulk didn't hurt anyone,” Tony whispered. “In fact, he seemed more panicked than you ever would be.”

Bruce mumbled something into the pillow that Tony couldn't hear. Tony kissed Bruce's back softly before laying down and wrapping an arm around Bruce's torso. He buried his face in Bruce's neck and kissed him softly.

“I know that, but … What if someone had been in there, Tony? We finally got Ross off our backs. I could've been put back into the Cube if ...”

Bruce rolled over and looked into Tony's eyes. Tony gently kissed Bruce, stroking the side of his face, gently.

“No one is going to come after you, Bruce. Not as long as I'm around. I'm not planning on going anywhere soon.”

Bruce pressed himself into Tony's chest, the cool casing of the arc reactor comforting him.

“I love you so much, Tony ...” he mumbled.

“I love you too, Bruce,” Tony whispered, holding him close.

 

July 20, 1995

 

Tony watched as Reed replayed the footage once again.

“Right there,” Tony said as the anomaly occurred. “See? There's something in the center of the explosion.”

Reed watched as a Doombot disappeared into the darkness at the center of the explosion while the rest around him melted into oblivion. He paused the video.

“Tony, this doesn't make any sense,” Reed started.

“I know, but is there any way that maybe the explosion found a way to send someone into the Negative Zone?”

“No. I've already been there and I would've noticed Dr. Banner there if he had been transported there,” Reed explained. “I mean, this is indeed interesting, but I don't see -”

“J, pull up the footage from May of 1992, again.”

“Tony ...”

“Reed, you need to help me. This might actually be something.”

Reed ran his hand through his hair and sighed, watching the footage again. “Tony, I don't know why you do this to yourself but -” Reed paused and looked closer at the footage. As the darkness opened, Reed noticed movement inside. “Huh. I hadn't noticed that before. Jarvis, can you zoom in?”

“Yes, Dr Richards. However, the resolution is not ideal for what I think you're looking for,” Jarvis responded.

“No, but it might be enough to prove Stark is right,” Reed mumbled.

“I'm sorry, I didn't hear that,” Tony teased.

Reed ignored him and looked closer at the image. “Next time Thor is on world, I want to talk with him. We need to see if any of the Asgardians are capable of opening up portals to other worlds.”

“They are, but Thor said that there wasn't any sign of him on any of the worlds he's aware of,” Tony said.

“But how many is he not aware of?” Reed responded. “He didn't know about the Kree before they came down and got us involved with their war on the Skrull.”

Tony nodded. “So, what do we do now?”

Reed smiled, “Well, we have plenty of contacts on other planets. I'm sure that we can ask them if they happened to have any issues with any 'green giants'.”

Reed began work on setting up contacts while Tony stared at the image again. It was easier to look at now that there was some hope that they would be reunited again.

“I'll see you soon, Bruce,” Tony whispered.

 

Date Unknown, Place Unknown

 

He was yelling again. He always yells. Especially at mother.

He looked different than he remembered, but did he really remember anything? After all, he couldn't remember which name was correct or what he looked like. Was he even male like he thought he was? Or human?

The rumbling kept happening, but it seemed frustrated, like it was trying to push him away.

He heard some words that sparked a memory. This was all too familiar. Something terrible was going to happen.

But it didn't.

Except for in his nightmares while he was in the unfamiliar bed with a scared voice in his head.

 

June 14, 1992

 

Tony had thought he was on a breakthrough with a way to bring Bruce back. He had almost figured out the theoretical time machine he and Bruce had been working on years before, but turning it on for a test led to an explosion that made him wish he had brought Dummy in from Malibu. He was putting out the flames with his T shirt when he heard the doors to the lab open. He turned to see Pepper standing in the doorway holding a fast food bag. She smiled sadly and walked in.

“Tony, I brought you some food,” Pepper whispered. “Cheeseburger, like when you came back to America after … Look, just eat okay.”

Pepper sat the food down on the workstation. Tony turned back to the remains of his time machine.

“I missed something. I know I did,” he mumbled.

“Tony … I know you're hurting, but … there's nothing you can do to bring him back, especially not like this. Please, just come upstairs with everyone else.”

Tony grumbled and grabbed the cheeseburger, murmuring to himself about incorrect equations.

“Oh, and I got the mail from Malibu for you. Um … Some of it was addressed to both of you, but I think you should still open it ...” she whispered as she set some envelopes on Tony's workstation.

Tony waved her off as he sifted through the wreckage again. Pepper turned and walked out the door, looking up at one of Jarvis' cameras before she left.

“Jarvis, I'm trying ...”

“As am I, Ms. Potts.”

Tony finally went to look at his mail, coming across an envelope with crisp handwriting from someone he didn't know. It was addressed to Tony, so it was safe. He opened the letter and immediately choked back a sob, not noticing the piece of paper that fell out of the unfolded letter.

There was some scribbled writing in crayon that he couldn't quite decipher, but underneath it was a letter in the crisp writing from the envelope.

“My son wanted to write to the heroes who saved him when he was a toddler. I told him that only two of them would be able to read it, but he insisted. Since his handwriting is still in need of improvement, I'll translate for you.

“Dear Mr. Iron Man, Miss Spider, and Mr. Hulk, Thank you for saving my mommy and me. She tells me about it all the time. I remember the big scary head in the window, but as mommy grabbed me, Mr. Hulk came and scared him away. That was really nice. And mommy said Mr. Stark bought our house. That was nice too. I like Miss Spider because she played with me after Mr. Hulk went away and that was fun. I drew a picture for you.”

Tony set down the letter. He couldn't read any more of it.

“Oh Bruce ...” he whispered. He looked down at the floor to see the piece of paper that had fallen from the letter.

On it was a crudely drawn picture of Hulk and Iron Man carrying a little boy.

If Bruce had been here, he would have blushed and said he didn't deserve this. Tony would have put the picture up on the lab fridge to tease Bruce about every morning.

If Bruce had been here, he probably would have written back.

“But you're not here anymore,” Tony said as he tossed the picture and letter into the wastebasket. He went to another workstation where a piece of unfinished armor sat. He picked it up, the purple tint reflecting off of the light above. “Maybe if I had finished this ...” he growled before throwing it against a wall. “But I was too late, wasn't I?”

Jarvis watched as Tony began to destroy the side of the lab that Bruce had once inhabited. Tony had been working on armor on Bruce's side of the lab while Bruce had been working on a smaller project before the Ultron incident. He hadn't been as concerned about it while he was in Malibu and Jarvis had been content to collect data on ways to make the armor withstand a Hulk out. It would have been an anniversary present, but Jarvis watched silently as it was destroyed.

Tony came across another, forgotten part of the lab. An area he had not touched since Bruce died, feeling it was insignificant. Tony began to destroy that equipment when, after dropping one of the chambers, he stopped. The clattering of the thin, metal band distracted him. He picked it up, gingerly, and walked back to his original workstation.

“Sir, I was not sure if you had still wanted to know when it was completed, but the ring you had tried for ...”

“Mute.”Jarvis complied and continued to watch in silence as Tony sat down at his workstation and produced a small black box from one of the drawers. He carefully put the ring into the box, as if it were made of glass, and then set it aside before pulling a bottle of whiskey out of the bottom drawer.

It was time to set to work finding a way to get Steve the codes to the room without Tony knowing, Jarvis thought to himself. He just needed to be unmuted, which looked like an improbability any time soon.

 

 


End file.
